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The immediate spark for the latest North Korea crisis — that the communist regime has mastered the ability to produce a nuclear weapon small enough to fit on a missile — is not so much of a revelation.

The Washington Post report raised the alarm level several decibels and prompted President Donald Trump to issue his “fire and fury” warning against North Korea. But as The Post itself has previously reported, U.S. intelligence officials have believed at least since 2013 that North Korea possessed that capability.

“This isn’t news,” said Fred Fleitz, senior vice president for policy and programs at the Center for Security Policy in Washington.

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) disclosed that assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency during a House Armed Services Committee budget hearing in April 2013. The report declared "moderate confidence the North currently has nuclear weapons capable of delivery by ballistic missiles" but added that the reliability of those missiles was low.

Since then, North Korea had made significant strides in its drive to develop intercontinental ballistic missiles and has conducted a flurry of tests in recent months.

Officials from then-President Barack Hussein Obama, moved swiftly to discredit the assessment. Then-National Intelligence Director James Clapper issued a statement that day indicating that the report did not represent the consensus of the intelligence community and that "North Korea has not yet demonstrated the full range of capabilities necessary for a nuclear armed missile."

In addition, a Defense Department spokesman at the time released a statement warning that it was "inaccurate to suggest" that the North Korean regime had demonstrated those capabilities.

Fleitz, whose national security career spanned 25 years in the executive branch and congressional staff positions, told LifeZette on Wednesday that the reaction was designed to avoid confrontation.

"Obama officials went out of their way to downplay it because it interfered with their policy of doing nothing," he said.

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Let's revisit the Obama vs Trump "red lines". As I recall Obama drew one ( or more ) lines when the Assad regime used chemical weapons on his people - and overt destructive act. He then failed to act. people got injured and died.

In this case Kim did a pouty mouthed "I'll attack Guam", Nothing has happened, shooting off his mouth is NOT a threat to anyone except those in the slobber slinging zone. Yet, Trump COULD have said - "hey that's a threat, nuke NK". But unlike some of the dimmer-bulbs here Trump had the good sense to realize no harm, no foul. And let's face it in some of those bulbs minds there was absolutely nothing Trump could have done that they would have approved.

Bottom line Presidents have to make judgements, in this case Trump decided there WAS NOT THREAT to the US and restrained from aggressive action.

So having the weapons he took as a threat. Enough so to say he would say what he said about Fire & Fury.

But L'il Kim saying he's going to use missiles to hit Guam, which is home to many Americans, isn't a threat.

Got it.

You do realize that had Trump just said if he fires a missile or anything like that, we would not be discussing this. Because he flew at the hip and said "threats us" then here we are.

Do you not think the Presidents words matter? Do you think he was better off shooting at the hip or talking it over with his folks before hand?

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Let's revisit the Obama vs Trump "red lines". As I recall Obama drew one ( or more ) lines when the Assad regime used chemical weapons on his people - and overt destructive act. He then failed to act. people got injured and died.

In this case Kim did a pouty mouthed "I'll attack Guam", Nothing has happened, shooting off his mouth is NOT a threat to anyone except those in the slobber slinging zone. Yet, Trump COULD have said - "hey that's a threat, nuke NK". But unlike some of the dimmer-bulbs here Trump had the good sense to realize no harm, no foul. And let's face it in some of those bulbs minds there was absolutely nothing Trump could have done that they would have approved.

Bottom line Presidents have to make judgements, in this case Trump decided there WAS NOT THREAT to the US and restrained from aggressive action.

You're proving to be the dimmer bulb here. Absolutely no one here has or is expecting Trump to nuke nk over comments. Which is exactly why he was blowing hot air when he spoke about fire and fury. Not sure why you can't figure this out.

The spider never understands what the fly is complaining about.

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I tend to agree Kim won't shoot. He knows he can survive almost and boycott; the rich and powerful in NK ae well insulated from the depravations the common people suffer with. But, if he provided a military action he knows NK would become a parking lot. Maybe even one that glows in the dark. Had Trump said nothing I think Kim would have continued pushing the boundaries; now I'm not so sure.

What's presidential or non-presidential is a matter of opinion. Trump is a different animal than we're used to. Difference scares people. I think the comment about taking Trump seriously but not literally has merit. He pops off uncontrollably, so what? You see any transgenders being discharged? Any nuclear missile flying towards NK? Nope, me neither.

Yep he shut that stuff right down.

Well if you ignore the fact no replied a few hours later saying they would be looking into putting a ring of fire around Guam.

Oh and yesterday's more detailed message saying Trump was talking nonsense and setting mid August as a determination on what they're planning.

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Well if you ignore the fact no replied a few hours later saying they would be looking into putting a ring of fire around Guam.

Oh and yesterday's more detailed message saying Trump was talking nonsense and setting mid August as a determination on what they're planning.

But otherwise, he shut that pushing the boundaries right down.

You weren't one of those I expected to understand. You didn't disappoint. I figured you'd favor NK over us, didn't disappoint there either.

A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise for to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. - Thomas Jefferson.

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You're proving to be the dimmer bulb here. Absolutely no one here has or is expecting Trump to nuke nk over comments. Which is exactly why he was blowing hot air when he spoke about fire and fury. Not sure why you can't figure this out.

The above is not what you have implied/inferred throughout this thread.

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You're proving to be the dimmer bulb here. Absolutely no one here has or is expecting Trump to nuke nk over comments. Which is exactly why he was blowing hot air when he spoke about fire and fury. Not sure why you can't figure this out.

BS - you guys were chanting in unison after Kim made his "threat" - "Trump lied, Kim made a threat and Trump did nothing". You jumped all over me when I pointed out that empty words from Kim and his cronies weren't really threats. If you didn't expect him to respond why was he "blowing hot air" when he didn't?

A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise for to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. - Thomas Jefferson.

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BS - you guys were chanting in unison after Kim made his "threat" - "Trump lied, Kim made a threat and Trump did nothing". You jumped all over me when I pointed out that empty words from Kim and his cronies weren't really threats. If you didn't expect him to respond why was he "blowing hot air" when he didn't?

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I'm pretty sure Trump successfully making some sort of peaceful negotiations with NK will be their worse nightmare. They will give him NO credit at all.

I wonder what would happen if the next time Kim decides to test an ICBM we decide to test our anti-ICBM system and shoot it out of the sky.

A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise for to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. - Thomas Jefferson.

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You weren't one of those I expected to understand. You didn't disappoint. I figured you'd favor NK over us, didn't disappoint there either.

Once again, this has ZERO to do with favoring nk or Jong-un. What it has to do with is a president knowing how to address situations so that they don't end up being escalated. It also means don't spit out poor ly worded threats that they can't back up.

Absolutely no one should have to be explaining "what Trump really meant was..." He's the friggin president, not some frat boy at SDSU.

It was a mistake for his handler's to let him ad-lib the comment in the first place. Hopefully a lesson learned.

You seem to be in support that we're already sinking in the eyes of many because we have an inexperienced leader in the Oval office. This just adds onto that view as to why more than half the people in this country don't have confidence in Trump's ability as a leader.

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Well, after over thirty years of nice-nice it's probably time to try something different, wouldn't you say? Maybe appeasing the bully was the right path, sometimes you just got to puff up your chest look him in the eye and say "screw with me and I WILL F*** you up".

What's "nice-nice" about sanctions and global shunning? The change of pace would be to maybe just accept that NK's nuclear ambitions have been realized and threats aren't going to work if we believe U.S. propaganda about Kimmie being a loose cannon. They haven't so far.

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It was a mistake for his handler's to let him ad-lib the comment in the first place.

There's nothing diplomatic about making threats, especially those which can't be carried out without insane, world-ending level consequences. One of the few things I said I liked about Trump was his willingness to set aside unwritten protocols and talk to "rogues" like Kim. Of course, like everything else he babbled about on the campaign trail, none of that will ever be realized. And given how horrible he is at basic human interaction, maybe it's a good thing.